Department of Mechanical Engineering

University of Ottawa
Room A-205 Colonel By Hall
Telephone: 562-5834
Fax: 562-5177

The Department

Chair of the Department B.S. Dhillon

Graduate Studies Officer Y.M. Haddad

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is one of the two constituents of the Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Consult the Institute entry beginning on page 160 of this Calendar for a faculty list, graduate program descriptions and admission requirements.

Programs of research and study are offered in several areas. Most research projects in the Department are in the general fields of thermofluids, solid mechanics, materials and design, manufacturing and industrial engineering. Members of the Department are engaged in research on the following topics: elasticity, plasticity, viscoelasticity, micromechanics of solids, stress analysis of shells, shell dynamics, strength of material, vibration, flow-induced vibration, photo-elasticity and experimental stress analysis, metal forming, plastic deformation and fracture of metals, ceramics and polymers, hot working of metals, welding, time and temperature dependent solid state processes, constitutive relations of plasticity and fracture, fibre composite material pressure vessels and high performance energy storage rotors, automated manufacturing of composites, two-phase heat transfer and fluid flow related to nuclear reactors, two-phase thermosyphons, swirling flow, turbulent flow structure, turbulent diffusion, flow and heat transfer in rod bundles, hemodynamics of cardiac assist devices, infiltration and stack effect in buildings, low Reynolds number flows, flow visualization, heat exchangers, power generation, battery and fuel-cell/flywheel hydrid power train design, liquid fuel combustion, alternate and broad-cut fuel I.C. engine design, integrated computer-aided design systems, computer-aided manufacturing and automation, computer control of mechanical systems, robot design and control, computer vision for control of machines, reliability modelling, human reliability, common-cause failures, transit system reliability, and power production system reliability.

Research Facilities

Research is conducted in large, modern and well-equipped laboratories containing computerized engine test cells, wind tunnels, water tunnels, towing tanks, two-phase heat transfer and fluid flow loops, submerged arc welders, computer controlled filament winder, material testing apparatus including computer controlled tensile machine, hydraulic fatigue testing machine and impact tester, high-speed data acquisition systems, photo-elastic equipment, shaker table, high-speed rotor testing facility, a selection of mini- and micro-computers, a state of the art CAD/CAM facility, robots, computer controllers, computer controlled machine tools, and a low temperature facility. An AMDAHL 5880 computer is available in connection with advanced degree work.

Graduate Courses

The following courses are not necessarily all given each year.